ORLANDORIM just took the wraps off of its new BlackBerry Music Gateway at BlackBerry World. The new Gateway is a shrewd update to the original, which reduces the size, adds support for NFC, and cuts the price in half. We were able to hear it in action.

The new BlackBerry Music Gateway lets you wirelessly stream music to your home or car stereo from your BlackBerry smartphone, PlayBook tablet, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device (which means non-BlackBerry devices work, too). Once connected, you should have about 30 feet of range away from the Gateway before losing connection.

The Music Gateway connects to any existing home stereo equipment or car stereo using RCA or standard 3.5mm cables, both of which are included with the device. The one that I saw was hooked up to a standard home theater setup, with a receiver connected to a set of Bose speakers.

There are two ways to connect to the Gateway. Like the original, you can use Bluetooth 2.0 to pair your Bluetooth-enabled device to the Gateway, and stream music automatically from there. RIM is stressing the fact that this is a universal device, so you can connect anything with Bluetooth, from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Once connected, you can access other applications or surf the Web while still playing music. Music automatically pauses when an incoming phone call is received and continues when the call is ended without skipping a beat.

New to this version of the device is support for NFC, though support for the technology isn't as universal as with Bluetooth. RIM says the Gateway should work with BlackBerry and NFC-enabled Nokia smartphones just fine, but may not play well with others. Still, with NFC, pairing is simple as can be. Simply tap your device on the Gateway to pair it, and tap it again to stop.

The NFC pairing process was fast and simple in person, and audio quality was good, though it did experience a few drops, but this may have had to do with the crazy levels of interference in the crowded demo booth.

The BlackBerry Music Gateway will begin shipping in June for $49.99. Check back with PCMag for a closer look when it comes out.

Alex Colon is the managing editor of PCMag's consumer electronics team. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Writing and Literature from Pace University and got his start editing books before deciding technology would probably be a lot more fun.
Though he does the majority of his reading and writing on various digital displays, Alex still loves to sit down and read a good, old-fashioned, paper and ink book in his free time. (Not that there's anything wrong with ebook readers.)
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